David Kogan has been appointed chair of the new autonomous regulator for English football, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced.The appointment, for a five-year term until 19 May 2030, follows scrutiny from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and confirmation of his appointability after a hearing.
The regulator is intended to strengthen the governance of the national game. The Department stated it had “co-operated fully with the inquiry by the Commissioner of public Appointments and await[s] the report’s publication.”
Kogan was initially not on the original three-person shortlist but was later identified as the “outstanding candidate” by Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Lisa Nandy, in April.
During a pre-appointment hearing in May before the Culture,Media and Sport Committee (CMS),Kogan disclosed past donations to the Labour party,stating he had given “very small sums” to campaigns,as well as “thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years.” He asserted he had “total personal independence from all of them” and pledged “total political impartiality” if appointed.
The CMS endorsed Kogan’s appointment but cautioned he must “reassure the football community that he will act impartially and in a politically neutral way.” Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage warned that Kogan’s donations “will inevitably leave him open to charges of political bias in a job where independence is paramount.”
The appointment has drawn criticism from the conservative Party.Shadow Culture Minister Stuart Andrew labelled it “Labour cronyism,” stating,”The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process,or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.”
Dame Helen Stephenson and Simon Levine have also been appointed to the regulator’s board.
